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Michael Kermit Hill is a rapper, known to his fans as Mikal kHill of The ThoughtCriminals. Mikal is a nerd, a music aficionado, and most importantly, a true artist. He quite obviously cares a lot about the art he produces. It is also quite obvious that he takes pride in his art. His debut This is Not an Entrance is a labor of love nearly a decade in the making, different in tone and direction than his work with The ThoughtCriminals, reminiscent of artists like Sage Francis or Eminem.

What does the title of the album mean? Mikal shared this with TPM:

The first real job I had when I got out of high school was working at a book store. The place had a back door that faced a graveyard. I’m not making this shit up, there was a graveyard in the middle of the mall, because the family that sold the land refused to give them the rights to that property. They just built the mall AROUND the fucking graveyard. Well, to look at the graveyard out the back door you have to look through the glass door that says, in huge block letters in Times New Roman font, “This Is Not An ENTRANCE.” I recorded a series of spoken word pieces originally intended to open the record, and they just kept getting incrementally bleaker. Zombies are an overarching theme for the record and in a lot of the music I make, and the last spoken word piece I recorded dealt with a description of me clawing my way out of a coffin, because I sort of felt like that. The kid I was is dead. I’m a new person, but I’ve been here the whole time. Eventually, I’m going to do a follow up EP with some of the songs I cut off of the original record, but by the time I had completed the record, I sort of felt that while the title was perfect, I had outgrown the feelings expressed in some of those pieces.

The opening track, “This is My Serious Face”, is an in-you-face tune that sets the tone. With (seemingly broken) promises to his family, he forges forward, has a little bit of fun, and spits serious rhymes about where he’s at. This track is the only track with any other vocalist; the other vocal on this track is lent by Mikal’s brother:

My brother is the only person that appears vocally on the record, he’s the guy screaming “WHAT WHAT” with me on “This Is My Serious Face.” That was sort of a flash back, for me, to us recording stupid things in our bedroom when I was seven.

(more…)

Pictured below is Beefy w/ his buddies in Optimus Rhyme. Who is Beefy? Let’s find out.

Beefy? What’s up with the name?

I’m a big guy. Someone was trying to make fun of me on a message board once and called me MC Beefy Bee and I liked the Beefy part, so I used it. Then it just kinda morphed into Beef Thompson over the years. I likes it. How about you?

I appreciate that, I am also quite a large fellow… So, besides your name, tell the readers a little bit about you.

I’m a nerdcore hip-hop artist from Southeast Washington. I’m very much into my Xbox and iPhone and have been a comic book nerd for years. I’ve put out 2 full albums and a bunch of free EPs that you can get at my website and I’ve done shows with people like MC Lars and YTCracker in Seattle, Portland, and even Amsterdam. I’m also very sexy. Don’t deny me. You’ll just look foolish.

I have a couple of your albums, personally my favorite song is your cover of Frontalot’s “Nerdcore Hip-Hop”… not sure why exactly, I just dig it a lot. In fact, I like it a lot more than the original. Is Frontalot an influence on you, who else in the Nerdcore scene do you consider an influence on what you do?

Front is definitely an influence. I can’t write like him at all, but he’s cleaver with his concepts and is an amazing performer. I look up to the big acts in Nerdcore like Lars, mc chris, and YTCracker. I’m also a fan SJ the Wordburglar for his wordplay and punchlines. My favorite band and biggest influence is Optimus Rhyme, a Nerdcore Seattle act that sadly broke up recently. It sucks. Hard.

Nerdcore aside, who are some you you favorite hip hop artists?

I grew up on Notorious BIG and Jay-Z so that was my base. I’m a big fan of the first few Gym Class Heroes albums before it got really radio-friendly. Big fan of Lupe Fiasco and early Kanye West and Eminem. That’s honestly about it.

How about other music?

I’m a White Stripes fan. I don’t know if it makes me less manly but I dig Regina Spektor. Tenacious D is the greatest band in the world, but everyone already knows that. I’ve listened to Sublime’s 40oz to Freedom a million times and was in love with the first Gnarls Barkley album. I don’t know if that last one counts as hip-hop or not though.

Good stuff, Sublime is likely my favorite band of all-time and that is their best album, hands down. On the topic of other musical styles, what type of music is the scariest? I just re-read Lords of Chaos, about the Black Metal scene, but I find myself still most afraid of most Country music.

I don’t like music that seems like it’s pissed off at me. I don’t want my music to scream at me. I don’t get that whole scene. If it works for some people that’s cool, just not my cup of tea. I don’t know if I’m really afraid of it since it’s all just a big act when their on stage. I think balls deep Christian music scares me the most. Those people really really believe.

Christian music can indeed be a bit frightening. So let’s move beyond music for a minute, shall we? As a Nerdcore artist, I thinks it’s safe to assume that you are a self-proclaimed nerd (as am I). What are your nerdiest traits and tendencies?

Like a lot of nerds I can carry entire conversations using nothing but movie and TV quotes. It’s like speaking a different language. Besides that I don’t think there’s really one particular thing that is my nerdiest quality. I have a <3 and a Bullet Bill tattoo, so I'm clearly hardcore. Oh, I know, I've made albums worth of songs about things like Street Fighter and board games. That's pretty nerdy.

I actually got a Star Wars Father’s Day card from my 7th month old son, how awesome is that? You have any kids?

My girlfriend has a year and a half old daughter we call Nugget and she gave me a Batman chocolate box for Valentine’s Day. It might have been the greatest day ever. I’ve been involved with the little one since she was 5 months old so I get all the joys of changing diapers and cleaning up after her but lack the ability to make decisions or call her a daughter, so it sucks a little but I loves her so I allow it.

That’s really cool, great V-Day gift… so back to music… or rather, hip hop feuds. I believe the reason Nerdcore isn’t more prominent in the national scene is that there are no publicizedhardcore beefs and feuds like in every other sub-genre of hip hop. I am requesting that you start one now, by dropping me a short freestyle about a Nerdcore artist of your choice.

How out of the loop you are sir. Nerdcore started with nothing but beefs and fighting. I should know because it seems like I started 90% of them. It’s actually just finally calmed down. And I already made a diss song called “Diss Missed” that was on my Private Dick EP. People dug it. Not so much the people dissed in the song though.

Well, I guess I’m a late bloom in the Nerdcore scene… care to start a feud with me?

Fuck you. I hate you! Feud Status: IT’S ON!

Well, that’s just too much for me sir! This interview is over! By the way, take care and keep in touch.

I change my mind. I love you. Let’s be BFFs. Feud Status: BFFs!

1. The Mars Volta – Octahedron: Not interested – call Ward and reform At the Drive In!

2. YTCracker – Nerdrap Entertainment System: 2005’s best free download. Still rocks today.

3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall: “I wonder if the carpet matches her pubes.”

4. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: By far, the best Underworld movie. Great plot. Solid flick.

5. Abdominal – Escape from the Pigeon Hole: I also give a fuck about an ice cold Guinness.

6. The Hangover: Another seemingly awesome movie I have to wait to see.

7. True Blood: Season 1: Interview with a Vampire for the MTV generation.

8. Kate Voegele – A Fine Mess: Yes, I like One Tree Hill, but not this chick.

9. Eminem – Relapse: All I can think of is Bruno’s ass.

10. Family Force 5 – Business Up Front Party in the Back: Much cooler than their boy band-ish name.